Tom Opre sits down with Rajeev Mathews, a government contractor who has been monitoring and documenting the almost unknown facts about human-wildlife conflict (HWC) in India where approximately 10,000 people per year are attacked and killed by wildlife.

He is a senior consultant with Zen Technologies Limited based in Hyderabad on developing various uses for armed and paramilitary forces.  Serves as a knowledge partner with the Centre for Innovations in Public Systems (CIPS) Gov’t of India, on various aspects of the environment and has an MoU – memorandum of understanding – to deal with the ever-increasing human-wildlife conflicts.

He serves as a member of the Wildlife Board for the state of Telangana. He is also a member of the Telangana State Biodiversity Board (TSBB) since its inception in 2014.

He is an Expert Member of Red Sanders with the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board (APSBB) 2014 from its inception. He has written several technical documents on various topics from wildlife to agriculture to habitats.

He is a member of the Ethological Society of India (ESI) the Consortium of Indian Farmers’ Associations (CIFA). He is a life member of the Deccan Birders which was formerly the Birdwatchers’ Society of Andhra Pradesh (BSAP) since its inception in 1980.